Understanding Restorative Justice

Air Date:
Heard On The Morning Show
Using a restorative justice model, which includes teachers and students gathering in circles for discussions, seventh graders Sarah Reusser, second from left, and Jayden Witter, top right, talk with Jackie Wade, bottom left, assistant principal Rufus Lott, third from left, assistant principal Sara Tompkins, Phillip Carney, bottom right, and counselor Betty Arredondo, bottom center, about a recent conflict, at Ed White Middle School, Friday, Oct. 16, 2015, in San Antonio. Philip Carney said that three years after starting a restorative discipline program as principal of Ed White Middle School in San Antonio, out-of-school suspensions have dropped by 72 percent. Eric Gay/AP Photo

Why would someone want to sit across from the person who murdered their child and talk to them about it? And why would the killer agree to have that conversation in the first place? We’re entering the sometimes bizarre, often transformative world of restorative justice this hour. Our guest is a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who’s been facilitating conversations like this for decades in the hopes of achieving something for those affected by crime that just going to court can’t.

Episode Credits

  • Kate Archer Kent Host
  • Colleen Leahy Producer
  • Janine Geske Guest

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